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Beloved Staffy is to be put down after viciously attacking a child, even though he NEVER showed any signs of aggression before the attack.
- Boy, 10, was staying with his adult brother and roommate in Palmerston, NT
- Housemate’s previously calm Staffordshire attacked the boy when he went to pet him
- His sister heard the boy scream, ran into the room and managed to free him.
A beloved Staffordshire terrier who has never shown aggression before is to be put down after the pet savagely mutilated a 10-year-old boy.
Dog trainer George Triantafilos Cotis, 22, pleaded guilty in Darwin Local Court on Tuesday to having a dog that attacked a person and having an unregistered dog.
The court heard that the boy and his adult sister were staying with their brother, who is Cotis’s housemate, in September when the boy was momentarily left alone with the dog named Leo.
Prosecutor James Stuchberry said the boy leaned over to pet the dog as it lay on the ground, at which point it suddenly jumped up and began biting and scratching it.
A previously ‘tame’ Staffordshire terrier attacked a 10-year-old boy who tried to pet him while he was with his older brother (file image)
“Hearing (his) screams, (the boy’s sister) ran into the living room and saw Leo on top of (him) with (his) head in Leo’s mouth,” Mr. Stuchberry said, reports the NT news.
The sister released the boy, but left him with major scratches and puncture wounds, as well as a phobia of dogs, including her own pet, and insomnia.
Stuchberry said the attack was “very serious” and that the council decided to euthanize the animal as a result, which Cotis decided not to appeal.
He added that due to the worrying number of dog attacks in the area, the Palmerston City Council had decided to take the owners to court as a deterrent.
Cotis’ defense attorney said the staff member had never shown aggression before and was not on record because he had just moved the dog out of the house and there was confusion over who would pay the fees.
He added that Cotis had apologized to the family and “states that he could not imagine how the situation has affected them and he wishes them the best in the future.”
Judge Alan Woodcock said Cotis was “so far of good character” and that the “family pet” would be euthanized. Cotis was given a 12-month good behavior bond.
“It was a disturbing event for everyone involved,” he added.